RELATED LINKS

Larry Fedora, who led Southern Miss to the 2011 Conference USA championship, is in his first year as head football coach at the University of North Carolina. Fedora is the 35th head coach in UNC history and the 11th since the ACC was formed in 1953.

In four seasons at Southern Miss, Fedora compiled a 34-19 overall record, including a 12-2 mark in 2011, and advanced to four consecutive bowl games. USM concluded one of the program's best regular seasons by knocking off previously unbeaten and then-No. 6 ranked Houston, 49-28, in the CUSA title game and beating Nevada in the Hawaii Bowl. The Golden Eagles reached double digits in wins for just the third time in school history and the first time since 1952. The 12 victories were a school record. USM finished the season ranked 19th in the USA Today Coaches Top 25 poll and 20thin the Associated Press Top 25 poll.

Statistically, Fedora's 2011 team was among the best in the country on both sides of the ball. Southern Miss finished 17th in the nation in total offense, averaging 461.4 yards per game, and 14th in scoring offense with 36.9 points per contest. On defense, the Golden Eagles were seventhin pass efficiency defense, 26th in scoring defense and 29thin total defense.

Southern Miss developed into an explosive offensive program during Fedora's tenure, gaining more than 5,000 total yards of offense in each of his four seasons, including a school-record 6,459 yards in 2011. In three of his four years in Hattiesburg, the Golden Eagles established a school record for total offense.

En route to an eight win season in 2010, Southern Miss established 35 school records and finished 18th in the country in total offense - the highest finish for the Golden Eagles since becoming a member of the FBS. Fedora's Southern Miss offenses were 31st in the nation in 2009 and 20th in 2008.

While admired for his offensive style, Fedora also brings an attacking defensive philosophy to UNC. The Golden Eagles have forced turnovers in 45 games during the Fedora era and two or more in 35 contests. That turnover margin helped the Golden Eagles rank 10th in turnover margin nationally for the second consecutive year in 2009 and 20th in 2010. This season, Fedora's defense set an FBS record with 9 interceptions returned for touchdown.

Off the field, Fedora's teams have succeeded in the classroom. Southern Miss's graduation success rate (GSR) ranked second in CUSA in the 2009-10 academic year and third during the 2010-11 academic year. In 2009, USM was recognized by the AFCA for its graduation success rate.

The Southern Miss job was Fedora's first head coaching assignment after excelling in the collegiate ranks as an assistant. He spent three seasons as the offensive coordinator at Oklahoma State from 2005-07 where the Cowboys raised their rushing, passing and total offensive yards each year with Fedora at the helm. In 2006, the Cowboys were one of just two teams - the other being Boise State - to average over 200 yards both rushing and passing.

The OSU offense averaged over 30 points per contest over his final two seasons as well. The Cowboys made the biggest improvement in the country in scoring following his second season of running the offense, jumping from 96thnationally in 2005 to 7th in 2006.

Prior to his stint at Oklahoma State, Fedora spent three seasons at Florida as run game coordinator (2002), perimeter game coordinator (2003) and offensive coordinator (2004). He also coached the running backs and receivers all three seasons.

In 2004, Fedora's Gators ranked first in the SEC in six different categories including passing offense (271.1), total offense (426.9), third down conversion percentage (47.8), touchdown passes (29), pass attempts (407) and pass completions (243).

Before going to Florida, Fedora was the offensive coordinator at Middle Tennessee from 1999-2001. In three seasons at MTSU, Fedora's offense averaged 424 yards of total offense, 181 rushing yards and 31 points per game. With Fedora as their offensive coordinator, the Blue Raiders set 43 school records over three seasons.

Fedora began his coaching career as a graduate assistant (1986) at Austin College. He then served as an assistant coach at Garland (Texas) High School from 1987-90. Fedora returned to the collegiate ranks in 1991, serving as the tight ends, wide receivers and running backs coach at Baylor, where he stayed until 1996. He then spent two seasons (1997-98) at Air Force coaching the passing game and wide receivers.

As a player, Fedora was a wide receiver at Austin College (1981-84) in Sherman, Texas. He helped lead the Kangaroos to the NAIA championship in 1981. He earned academic All-American honors in 1983, and honorable mention All-American in both 1983 and 1984.

Born Sept. 10, 1962, in College Station, Texas, Fedora is a 1985 graduate of Austin College, where he also received his Masters degree in 1986. He is married to the former Christi Wood, and the couple has one son, Dillon, and three daughters, Sydney, Peyton and Hallie.